Nearby.
Ma Xiaotao stood there, completely stunned.
From the moment Snow Empress appeared, her mind had gone blank.
Seven hundred thousand years old.
The Heavenly Snow Woman.
The source of Ultimate Ice.
Standing right there.
Side by side with Ice Empress.
Looking at Bai Lan.
Calling Bai Lan "Master."
"This..." she murmured, her voice trembling.
Yinye walked over to her.
"First time seeing her?" she asked.
Ma Xiaotao nodded.
Yinye smiled.
"When I first saw Master make a contract with Ice Empress, I was just like this."
She gazed toward Bai Lan, her eyes full of warmth:
"I got used to it later."
"Master always knows how to surprise us."
Ma Xiaotao took a deep breath.
She looked at Bai Lan.
At that seven-year-old junior.
Suddenly, she remembered the first time they had met.
Back then, she had only thought he was a slightly mysterious junior.
Now—
As she looked at him, she had only one thought:
What kind of monster was he?
Bai Lan turned and looked at Ma Xiaotao.
"Seen enough?"
Ma Xiaotao nodded, then shook her head.
"N-no... I haven't seen enough..."
Bai Lan smiled.
"You'll have plenty of chances."
He walked over to Snow Empress.
"Snow Empress, this is Ma Xiaotao."
"She's my friend."
Snow Empress looked at Ma Xiaotao.
There was no emotion in her icy blue eyes.
They were simply calm.
But when Ma Xiaotao met her gaze, she felt as if her whole body were about to freeze.
"P-please, senior..." she stammered.
Snow Empress watched her for a few seconds.
Then she gave a gentle nod.
"Fire Phoenix," she said. "Evil Fire."
Ma Xiaotao's pupils contracted.
Snow Empress had seen through her just by looking at her?
"Senior..." she said, her voice trembling.
Snow Empress looked away.
"Master's friends," she said, "are